¹⁸F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Imaging for Assessing Cardiovascular Inflammation.

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Nuclear Imaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Cardiovascular inflammation is a key factor in many heart diseases.
• Non-invasive imaging is crucial for assessing this inflammation.
• Cancer patients face increasing risks of cardiovascular complications from therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical utility of ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) Positron Emission Tomography (PET) for evaluating cardiovascular inflammation.
• To highlight FDG PET's role in managing cardiovascular complications in cancer patients.
• To discuss future molecular imaging advancements.

Main Methods:

• Review of current literature on FDG PET in cardiovascular inflammation.
• Analysis of FDG PET applications in cardiac sarcoidosis, endocarditis, vasculitis, and atherosclerosis.
• Examination of FDG PET for assessing cancer therapy response and cardiovascular complications.

Main Results:

• FDG PET is a valuable non-invasive tool for identifying active cardiovascular inflammation.
• It aids in diagnosing and monitoring conditions like cardiac sarcoidosis and vasculitis.
• FDG PET is effective for early detection of cardiovascular issues in cancer patients undergoing treatment.

Conclusions:

• FDG PET demonstrates significant clinical value in assessing cardiovascular inflammation with proper patient preparation.
• It plays a dual role in oncology, evaluating both tumor response and treatment-related cardiovascular toxicity.
• Emerging molecular imaging techniques hold promise for future cardiovascular inflammation assessment.